Thursday, August 30, 2012

New Car: 2014 Mazda 6

Good news, everyone! Mazda is just about to launch its third-generation 6, and this time around it’s smaller and much lighter than the car it replaces. The 2014 Mazda 6 could even capture some of the spirit of the delightful first-gen car—at least, that’s what Mazda’s execs want us to believe. The new 6 debuts at the Moscow auto show.

Why Moscow? Mazda sales have been huge in Russia in the past few years, and the company has a new joint venture there to build 6s. In contrast, Mazda just pulled out of its sole U.S. factory, meaning new 6s will be imported from Japan.

Few automakers consistently satisfy automotive enthusiasts like Mazda. From living rooms and dorm rooms, we command engineers to make cars lighter and sportier and even a little smaller. “Sure,” says Mazda. The 2014 car is 2.2 inches shorter overall than the outgoing 6, but the wheelbase is 1.6 inches longer, accomplished by moving the front wheels forward relative to the A-pillar.

Mazda’s estimates for the 6’s weight are similarly impressive. Depending on the engine, the new car is 220 to 375 pounds lighter than a four-cylinder second-gen Mazda 6. A fully equipped Russian-market version of the new 6 is said to weigh just 3109 pounds, which not only makes it lighter than its classmates, but leaves it just slightly heavier than a Porsche Boxster S. Whoa. Thanks, high-strength steel.

Details are thin on the 6’s platform, but Mazda says that torsional rigidity is up 30 percent, and that noise, vibration, and harshness levels are improved. The suspension will use struts in the front and a multilink setup in the rear. The sheetmetal doesn’t just look good, it’s got a claimed drag coefficient of a low 0.26.